School Year Success Begins at the Library

  • By Baltimore County Public Library

Summer flew by, and the 2026-27 school year is already here. Along with the classroom and your home, the library wants to be your third space to make the school year successful with in-person programs, online resources and dedicated spaces for every student to enjoy and help navigate learning.   

While anyone in Baltimore County can register for a physical or digital library card, Baltimore County Public School (BCPS) student identification numbers already serve as library cards. With your school ID number, you can check out up to five books or audiobooks, use online resources for homework help, get test prep, research projects and stream media. Then, be sure to get a standard library card to browse our Library of Things and borrow video games, movies and more. Read below to learn more or explore our youth offerings.  

Programs  

The library holds in-person and virtual programs nearly every day. Programs include:   

Smiling kids sitting in a crowd
  • Books and Reading  
  • Crafts, Hobbies and DIY 
  • Games, Gaming and Recreation 
  • Health and Wellness 
  • Social Connection 
  • STEM 
  • Story Time and Early Learning 

Search for programs by date, location and age group to find something that meets your interest.  

Digital Library 

Our free digital library is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Download or stream using a computer, tablet, phone or smart TV. Options include:   

Homework Help   

Learn more about the following homework help resources:   

  • Brainfuse—Get expert help from tutors through a live chat 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Have your library card number and password available. Spanish-speaking tutors are available.   
  • SkillSurfer—Practice long division, improve reading comprehension and learn other key skills.   
  • Writing Lab—Submit a writing sample and receive feedback on structure, grammar, style and content to help you better organize and present your thoughts and information.    

Research Databases     

Use our online databases for research and school assignments. Many contain full-text articles from magazines, journals, current and historical newspapers, encyclopedias and more. A valid library card or BCPS student identification number is required to access some databases.   

Study Spaces  

If you're looking for a space to work on a project, practice a presentation or study for a test, check out our study rooms. Available at 12 open branches, you can reserve the rooms up to 24 hours in advance by booking a room online, calling the branch or visiting the service desk during branch hours. Reservations are available in 15-minute increments with a maximum of one hour reserved per customer per 24 hours. Based on availability, you can request to reserve the room for an additional hour at the service desk after the original block of time has expired. Most branches also offer a “quiet area” without you having to sign up.  

After-School Snacks

Starting Tuesday, September 8, nine branches offer after-school snacks, thanks to a partnership with Good Harvest. Come to the branch after school Monday through Friday to complete homework, hang out with friends, play board and video games, and have a snack. Snacks are available for those 18 and younger while supplies last.  

Smiling kids eating snacks and drinking water at a table
  • Arbutus 
  • Cockeysville 
  • Lansdowne 
  • North Point* 
  • Parkville-Carney 
  • Reisterstown 
  • Rosedale 
  • Sollers Point 
  • Woodlawn

Children under 8 must be with an adult. *North Point Branch is currently closed for an HVAC repair and is scheduled to reopen on Monday, November 9. 

For the Little Ones  

We cannot let the big kids have all the fun! While they head back to the classroom, we have many resources and activities for children ages birth to 5 to prepare for school in the coming years, including: 

  • Mango Language’s Little Pim—a language learning platform made specifically for those ages birth to 6. Enjoy vibrant animation, short video lessons and interactive activities. Little Pim is available in 12 languages, including Spanish, French, German and Russian. 
  • 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten—reading out loud with a young child helps them to develop important early-literacy skills to aid in speaking, listening and communicating. Parents can sign up through Beanstack or by downloading or picking up a paper reading log (PDF) at your home branch. For every 100 books read, children can collect a special sticker. Collect all 10 stickers to reach 1,000 books and your little one can get a medal for their achievement. There is no minimum age requirement. 
  • Early Learning Kits through our Library of Things. Each kit is themed and includes a variety of books, toys and a set of tips on how to interact with the contents. 

We have a full blog dedicated to getting your little one ready for kindergarten.  

No matter what grade you’re heading into this year, we have the resources and spaces to help you make it the best year yet! Stop by one of our 18 open branches today to get started.

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